Airbag modules for side airbags are well known from the prior art. Thus, for instance, U.S. Pat. No. 5,547,214 teaches a side airbag system within the backrest of a vehicle seat, in which the airbag is mounted on a support plate, which is screwed to the seat frame. U.S. Pat. No. 6,126,192 likewise teaches a side airbag system, in which the airbag module is mounted on a fastening plate, which is connected to a structural element of the vehicle. The fastening plate comprises a plurality of catch hooks, which are inserted through corresponding openings in the structural element and catch therein.
However, a problem of such fastening solutions, which act merely by catching, is that they do not always withstand high impulse forces during airbag deployment. Moreover, it cannot be guaranteed that the airbag module is engaged correctly on installation, i.e. not tilted, when in particular a check is likewise difficult to perform. Where the solution involves a screw connection, it is necessary to provide threads or nuts which are also accessible from the inside, i.e. the side remote from the airbag module, in order to attach a nut to a fastening bolt of the fastening plate. This results in complex mounting and leads to high costs.